Depression Associated With 46% Increased Risk Of First-Time Stroke

Worldwide, people with symptoms of depression—defined as a self-report of feeling “sad, blue, or depressed” for two or more consecutive weeks during the past 12 months before stroke—had an average 46% increased risk of acute stroke compared to those with no symptoms of depression. Risk increased based on number of symptoms experienced:

Two symptoms (35% higher risk)
Three to four symptoms (58% higher risk)
Five or more symptoms (54% higher risk)

Individuals with depression before stroke were also 9% more likely to have poor functional outcome at one-month after acute stroke. However, these individuals were not . . .